By Makutu Manneh
Essa Mbye Faal, leader of the opposition APP Sobeyaa Party, said on Saturday that he would move to expose and recover assets he alleges were stolen under President Adama Barrow’s administration if he is elected president in 2026, placing corruption at the center of his campaign message.
Speaking at a party meeting in Jeshwang, Mr. Faal accused the current government of widespread corruption, which he said has contributed to the country’s economic stagnation. He questioned why officials accused of wrongdoing have not been prosecuted, despite what he described as frequent public reports of embezzlement.
“The houses they have in Dakar, Canada, Morocco, and Guinea—we know about them, and they will return everything,” Mr. Faal told supporters, without providing specific evidence. “We will reveal it all.”
Mr. Faal also criticized the dismissal of a government official he described as having exposed corruption, saying the action demonstrated a lack of political will to confront wrongdoing. “It is your money that is being misused,” he said.
He said he believed the government viewed his candidacy as a threat because of his focus on asset recovery, adding that he was serious about holding officials accountable. At the same time, he sought to frame his message as restorative rather than punitive.
“We are not here to create problems,” Mr. Faal said. “What we want is for stolen assets to be returned so they can be invested in the youth.”
Turning to the 2026 election, Mr. Faal urged supporters not to rely solely on predictions that the ruling party would lose, but to ensure voter participation. He warned against political violence, citing remarks he attributed to some government ministers who, he said, had suggested they were prepared to use force to remain in power.
Mr. Faal appealed particularly to young people, urging them not to allow themselves to be drawn into conflict on behalf of politicians. “Do not fight your fellow Gambians for leaders who will be sitting comfortably in air-conditioned rooms,” he said.
He also addressed women, encouraging them to reject what he described as a belief that governments cannot be challenged. Voters, he said, have both the power and the responsibility to replace leaders who fail to meet expectations.
“If a government is not working,” Mr. Faal said, “it is the people’s duty to change it.”